Four years ago, when I first moved from New York to the Boston-area, I can only describe it as a collision of worlds. Although the change of pace is less noticeable for some, it took me extra time to adjust to the relatively gentle mobility of Beantown as compared to that of the Big Apple.

After finding work at Formaggio Kitchen, and as I established a comfort zone with my newly adopted environment, I was given the opportunity through the shop to visit a series of farms in western Vermont. I had never traveled that far north in the United States before, so I jumped at the opportunity.

We love Thanksgiving. It may mean a variety of things to a variety of people but there are many common threads – turkey, family, friends, cranberries, football, a full stomach and, in many cases, an afternoon nap or walk. This year, we checked in with our domestic cheese buyer, Tripp, who has put together a wonderful Thanksgiving cheese board, incorporating a cross-section of milk types and textures. He draws on some old favorites but also includes a couple of newer cheeses that we think are destined to become classics in their own right! (more…)

For cheesemongers, spring not only means longer days and warm weather, but also the start of a new season of cheesemaking. Some of the first spring-milk cheeses we see are from goat farms, which have been welcoming flocks of baby goats over the past couple of months.

After giving their milk to their new, absurdly cute babies for a couple of weeks, the does will be able to give their milk to cheesemakers such as Michael Lee of Twig Farm in Vermont. From his herd of about 40 goats, Lee began making this year’s cheeses a few weeks ago — after proper ripening, we’ll probably see these new wheels (perennial favorites at Formaggio Kitchen) sometime in June.

Last week, a couple of us mongers went up to visit another local goat farm, Consider Bardwell in Pawlet, Vermont, where on an amazing spring afternoon we saw the herd of ladies-in-waiting — about 40 does who were due to give birth in the next day or so. The photo above shows two kids who were born the morning we arrived.

The cheesemakers at Consider Bardwell will also start using the new milk to make cheeses such as Manchester, an aged goat cheese that we like for its fresh, floral flavors and firmer texture. It’s the perfect match for a crisp white wine from the Loire Valley, or even a dry rosé.

Here’s to spring!

For more on our trip to Consider Bardwell Farm, check out our travelogue.